Six independent school districts serve the students of Montague County. Taken together, they enroll approximately 3,131 to 3,200 students K-12 in the 2024-2025 school year — a stable number reflecting the county’s flat population trend over the past fifteen years.
The districts range from Bowie ISD, which serves 1,567 students and operates the county’s most complete secondary program, to Prairie Valley ISD, which enrolls 127 students and operates as a small community school in the county’s western reaches. All six districts remain separate entities despite occasional consolidation discussions — community identity and preference for local control have kept them independent.
The Six Districts
Bowie ISD — 1,567 students
The county’s largest district and its educational anchor. Bowie ISD operates elementary, middle, and high schools serving the city of Bowie and surrounding rural precincts. The district’s graduation rate — 97.4% for the Class of 2023 — is notably above the Texas state average of approximately 91-93%. TEA’s 2024-2025 accountability rating is C (79 points) overall, with Bowie High School rated B (86 points).
College-prep offerings include limited AP coursework and dual-credit pathways through North Central Texas College. Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in agriculture, healthcare, and construction are the primary vocational pathways.
Nocona ISD — 752 students
The second-largest district, centered on Nocona and its surrounding rural communities. TEA 2024-2025 rating: C (79 points) overall; Nocona High School rated B (88 points). The high school’s B rating — the highest high school score among rated MoCo districts — reflects strong secondary academic performance relative to the district’s overall C grade.
Saint Jo ISD — 346 students
A smaller district centered on Saint Jo. TEA 2024-2025 rating: B (80 points) — the highest overall district rating in Montague County, slightly above both Bowie and Nocona ISDs. Operates a combined K-12 campus reflective of small-town school organization.
Forestburg ISD — 184 students
Serves the Forestburg community. The district’s historic campus — a 1937 WPA-era building that was rebuilt in 1996 — is an architectural landmark in the county and represents Depression-era educational infrastructure still actively used. TEA accountability rating not publicly posted for 2024-2025.
Gold-Burg ISD — 155 students
A consolidation of the former Gold and Burg community school districts. Serves southwestern Montague County. Very small enrollment; community-centered operation. TEA rating not publicly posted.
Prairie Valley ISD — 127 students
The county’s smallest district. Serves a rural prairie area. Approximately 127 students, strong parental involvement, local community identity. TEA rating not publicly posted.
What Connects All Six
Friday night football is the dominant shared institution across all six districts. High school football games are the county’s largest regular community gatherings, drawing multi-generational crowds to stadiums in Bowie, Nocona, and Saint Jo.
FFA and 4-H programs are embedded in every district’s curriculum. The county livestock show, held annually, is a student-centered community event that connects school agricultural education to working ranch families in the county.
North Central Texas College (Gainesville, approximately 20 miles east on US-82) is the primary higher-education pipeline. Students pursuing community college pathways most commonly attend NCTC before transferring to Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls or the University of North Texas in Denton.
Sources: countyoffice.org/tx-montague-county-public-schools/ (enrollment 2024-2025); TEA 2025 A-F Statewide Summary Deck (accountability ratings); Texas Tribune Schools Explorer, Bowie ISD (graduation rate 97.4%); ACS 2020-2024 (school-age population 3,124).